Envious Casca/A Christmas Party - SPOILER Thread

[Susan]

First published in 1941, this is the second mystery to feature Inspector Hemingway as the leading sleuth (the first being, “No Wind of Blame). Published under the title, “Envious Casca,” this is also known as, “A Christmas Party,” and involves the typical country house setting, so beloved of Golden Age mysteries. We have a family and a Christmas party, but without much goodwill to all men – or family members. For the volatile mix of family, and guests, will lead to murder and a locked room mystery…

Please feel free to post spoilers in this thread. Thank you.

[Susan]

I actually guess who-dunnit in this one. I thought it was quite obvious - what did everyone else think?

[Judy]

Thinking back to last year, I think I guessed it too. I know I got in a bit of a muddle about Maud and her missing book, though!

[Susan]

I felt sorry for Maud. I think all readers knew where she was coming from - just leave me alone, I'm reading!

[Roman Clodia]

I was completely fooled! Though it was suspicious that Joseph had such a cast-iron alibi as talking through the walls... And I thought the solution was genius! I was expecting a secret passage or something (though that still didn't solve the alibi problem) and loved that it was something so much more do-able (if you see what I mean!).

And yes, loved the clue in the missing book!

I was a bit so-so with No Wind of Blame but really enjoyed this one.

[Annabel]

I love this one. I first read it so long ago that I can't say for sure whether I guessed who did it, I'm pretty sure I didn't, despite the reasonably obvious financial pointer. On the negative side, I found the supporting characters, particularly Paula, rather unconvincing compared with some of Heyer's best, and was never convinced by the romantic angle. But the locked room solution is excellent - I think these days it seems less remarkable because it has been imitated many times but Heyer must have been one of the first to use it.

[Roman Clodia]

Yes, like the previous Heyer mystery we read, that romance at the end came out of nowhere! I can't help feeling, though, that they're well-suited and Stephen will mellow...

[Susan]

I liked Stephen. He was all bark and no bite.

[Judy]

Women who breed bull terriers always seem to be made of the right stuff in Heyer novels - I think Carol pointed this out in a previous Heyer read!

[Roman Clodia]

Ooh, I shall be looking out for bull-terriers in future reads!

[Susan]

I also read she gave romantic parts to female characters who were not traditionally pretty and that did prove to be true in this novel!

[Roman Clodia]

Yes, I liked that aspect of the romance!

[Susan]

You could feel that Valerie instinctively knew that Stephen did like Mathilda, too, and was jealous.

[Jill]

I definitely thought that there was something between Stephen and Mathilda from the start. I did wonder if she was there to put Valerie off. Was some time before I guessed who the murderer was, due to the fact I couldn't work out the sealed room.
I though Maud was great. Only thing is, I realised that I will often want to tell other people what I have read when reading some books, and wonder now if they are listening politely or really interested. Will have to kerb this in future!
Seems to me that Heyer must have thought all young people were of a stroppy nature, as the three books I have read of hers , they all seems pretty insufferable.

[Susan]

Ha ha! Maud definitely had shades of me, Jill!

[Tania]

Just finished. I did guess the murderer, but only because at the beginning of the book, I thought he was the most unlikely suspect and so the most likely culprit. Also he overdid the act. After that throughout the book, it all pointed to him. I couldn't figure out how it had been done and liked the explanation given for this.
I did like this and would like to go back and read the first one now.

[Susan]

I guessed it too, Tania. The first one is good - if you liked this, you'll probably enjoy that too.

[Judy]

I've now finished rereading this - I had read it last year so remembered a lot, but had forgotten the mechanics of how it was done. A very clever solution.

[Judy]

I just looked up biographies of Elizabeth, Empress of Austria, who was known as Sisi - there are a lot of them, including one by Barbara Cartland!

I'm not sure which one Maud was reading - possibly Elizabeth, Empress of Austria by Egon Caesar Conte Corti, as it says on Amazon this was published in 1936 - but there are also several more recent books. Is anyone tempted to read about her?

[Susan]

I have read about her, Judy. Not her alone, but she certainly came up in Twilight of Empire: The Tragedy at Mayerling and the End of the Habsburgs, which I read not so long ago. I also found her life very interesting, and tragic. I was totally on Maud's side - "where's my book, I haven't finished it and stop expecting me to act as a hostess to boring people when I want to read!" (paraphrasing here...).

[Doris]

I read Joan Haslip's The Lonely Empress *years* ago. She was such a sad and strange character.

[Judy]

Thanks, Susan and Doris - it sounds as if she would be very interesting to read about, despite the other characters' reactions to Maud's snippets from her book!

I really enjoyed Maud as a character and am sure she will be happy in her little house on her own. :)

[Susan]

Yes, near a good lending library and bookshop. A character after my own heart :)